Complete glossary of terms

Term

Definition 

Access admin

an area where user management is taking place.

Analytics

one of the Pricefx functional areas where users can visualize pricing data.

Apache Camel

A “mediation router”: a message-oriented middleware framework implementing the enterprise integration patterns. It makes use of these patterns along with supporting all common transport protocols and having a vast set of useful adapters included.

Apache Kafka 

A distributed publish-subscribe messaging system that receives data from disparate source systems and makes the data available to target systems in real-time. It facilitates the asynchronous data exchange between processes, applications, and servers. 

API 

API stands for Application Programming Interface. It's part of our software that allows and enables other programmers to connect to it.

Approval workflow

a process of approving the quotes when the content of the quote does not fit into the defined thresholds (e.g., minimum margin). Approval workflows should be programmed in the calculation logic. There could be multiple approval workflows connected to different user groups in the Pricefx software.

Busienss roles

a tool to combine user roles and user groups for a certain level of access to the software.

Business Intelligence 

The purpose of Business Intelligence is to make educated business decisions based on data. Its components are collecting, integrating, analyzing, and presenting business information.

Calculation logic

a common term in Pricefx that defines a particular combination of Groovy code that defines how prices are being calculated.

Camel Component 

Will act as an endpoint factory. To put it simply, components offer an interface to different technologies using the same approach and syntax. Camel already supports a lot of components in its DSLs for almost every possible technology, but it also gives the ability for writing custom components

Charts

standard pricing charts available by default in Analytics within Data Analyzer.

Claim records

the table containing the approved claims' records to be processed and paid out.

Claims types

an area where the pre-programmed types of claims calculation are displayed. The types are used to create claims with pre-defined parameters.

Configuration wizard

an area to modify different pricing setups in a simple, step-by-step way without programming knowledge.

Contract header

an overview of the complete contract. One contract can have only one header.

Contract line item

a contract item that defines a particular type of discount, agreement, campaign. One contract can have multiple line items.

Contract term types

an area where the pre-programmed types of contract calculation are displayed. The term types are used to create contracts with pre-defined parameters.

Contracts

one of the Pricefx functional areas where users can create and manage contracts.

Converters 

Are used by mappers (LoadMapper, IntegratMapper and MultilevelMapper) to convert data types.

Customer

a table that includes customers data with a variety of attributes. Mostly used in B2B.

Customer extensions

a type of data table containing additional customer information, such as sold-to, hierarchy, etc.

Dashboards

graphical user interface that provides at-a-glance views of key performance indicators relevant to a particular objective or business process.

Data Blending

A data management technique that provides a fast, easy, and flexible method to extract value from multiple data sources and to find patterns without the deployment of a traditional data warehouse architecture.

Data Cleansing 

The transformation of data from its native or raw state to a pre-defined or standardized format or structure using customized software.

Data Federation 

Process where data is collected from distinct databases without ever copying or transforming the original data.

Data Governance 

The management of the availability, usability, integrity, and security of the data stored within an enterprise.

Data Integration 

The combination of technical and business processes that are used to combine data from different sources into meaningful insights.

Data Lake 

A storage repository that can hold large quantities of raw data in its native form, including structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data. In this format, the data does not need to be structured until it's needed.

Data Lineage 

Referred to as the data life-cycle, which includes the origins of the data and where it moves over time, describing what happens to data as it goes through diverse processes.

Data Mapping 

Data mapping is the process of creating data element mappings between two different data models. It is commonly used as a first step for a wide array of data integration tasks, including data transformation between a data source and a destination. The process where an uploaded CSV file’s columns are linked to the Pricefx mandatory fields either for a specific Pricefx entity during Data Uploads or for linking to columns in a Datamart for the loading of an Accelerator.

Data Mart

A data repository that contains data arranged in specific patterns (star schema, snowflake schema, etc) to support informational applications.

Data Migration

The process of moving data between two or more storage systems, data formats, warehouses or servers.

Data Mining

Extracting previously unknown information from databases and using that data for important business decisions, in many cases helping to create new insights.

Data Modeling 

A method used to define and analyze the data requirements needed to support an entity’s business processes, defining the relationship between data elements and structures.

Data Ownership

Answers the question: ‘who owns the data?’. It is also the philosophical and legal concept of an entity owning the right to control access to a particular set or group of data.

Data Quality

Refers to the overall level of “quality” or perceived value of the data. If a particular datastore is seen as holding highly relevant data for a project, that data is seen as a quality to the users when their is a high degree of trust in the data values.

Data Silos

A separate database or set of data files that are not part of an organization's enterprise-wide data administration.

Data Source

a type of data table that includes cleansed and structured data used to build data marts.

Data Steward

Another term used in conjunction with Data Ownership implies who owns and is responsible for the data. It is also the philosophical and legal concept of an entity owning the right to control access to a particular set or group of data.

Data Warehouse 

It is a central repository in which to store information. It usually contains historical data derived from transaction data, but it can include data from other sources, such as social media.

EIP

An EIP, short for enterprise integration pattern, is a software pattern that is used for designing data flows between different pieces of enterprise software.

Endpoint

This is a channel through which the system can receive or send a message. It can refer to a web service URI, queue URI, file, email address, etc

ETL

ETL stands for Extract, Transform, Load. In computing, it refers to a process used in databases, and especially data warehousing, that blends data from multiple sources.

Events 

Pricefx generates various events which can trigger an action by IntegrationManager.

Excel client

a tool based on Excel macros that allow to modify and upload the data to a particular partition.

Exchange

This is the container of a message and it is created when a message is received by a consumer during the routing process. The exchange allows different types of interaction between systems – it can define a one-way message or a request-response message

Groovy Sandbox 

Since IntegrationManager runs untrusted Groovy scripts that could contain malicious code, these scripts must be evaluated inside a sandbox to prevent malicious code. If the sandbox detects a forbidden code, it throws an exception

Home

a starting page of Pricefx that displays all software functional areas. It can be customized according to user preferences.

IntegrateMapper

Will perform insert and update operations on selected backend objects. This operation is not available for all types of objects. This command is particularly useful in a situation where the caller does not (and should not) know about typed IDs and other “internal” data fields, i.e. typically in an integration scenario. 

Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS) 

A suite of cloud services enabling the execution and governance of Data Integration flows connecting to on-premise and cloud-based processes.

IntegrationManager

Allows uploading data from the external systems, such as SAP, into Pricefx and exporting data from Pricefx, so that they can be further used in the external systems. This two-way exchange uses a format which best suits the given scenario (CSV file, XML file, JMS message or calling a web service). 

Live Price Grids

a type of price list with products and calculated by logic prices which should be recalculated several times per day depending on new data (e.g., competition) updates.

LoadMapper

It is a very efficient and quick way to load bulk data. The main benefit is its enormous speed to load thousands of rows (compared to e.g. integrate). The main drawback is that it will always work on entire rows. 

Mappers

Mappers are used for conversion of the message body to the Pricefx format. The message body is usually a list of maps or a map. We have the following types of mappers: LoadMapper, IntegrateMapper and MultilevelMapper.

Mass update

a function that allows updating the similar value, for example, cost, in many or all existing quotes. A feature that is useful during quotes revisions and common price parameters updates.

Master Data

a term used to define key data tables essential for software functionality.

Message

Contains the data which is being transferred to a route. Each message has a unique identifier and it's constructed out of a body, headers, and attachments.

Models

one of the Pricefx functional areas where users can create, run and maintain optimization models.

Models types

an area where the pre-programmed types of optimization approach are displayed. The types are used to create an optimization model based on the defined data and optimization target.

MultilevelMapper

This is used to remap values from multiple levels of multiple sources into one output body. It can combine calculated values with values extracted from the body and headers, including lists at several levels. Output mapping must always be unambiguous.

Optimize Engine

an area where users can define and run AI-modeled optimization.

Partition

one instance of the Pricefx software. It is accessible through the internet browser and has a distinct link and partition name. Only authorized users can log in to the particular partition.

Payout records

the table that contains the records of the approved rebates to be paid out to the rebate receiver.

PfxClient 

A prebuilt module that will allow all other components to connect to Pricefx server.

PL and LPG types

an area in Price Setting where the available types of Price lists (PL) and Live Price Grids (LPG) are stored. Usually, those types are programmed by the concrete calculation logic and used when new PL or LPG are created.

PlatformManager

user interface for managing simple data uploads, choosing and deploying integration templates, and scheduling product updates.

Policy records

a table with the optimization records that have been approved to be used in other functional areas, e.g., quotes, price setting, analytics, rebates.

Price lists

an area in Price Setting that allows the creation of multiple tables with products and calculated prices based on calculation logic.

Price parameters

tables that include different pricing data that affect price calculation in logic, workflows setup, etc.

Price records

a table that includes the records for all converted into deal quotes. One row in the record table refers to each line item in the quote. This is also the format in which Pricefx exports quotes to other systems.

Price setting

one of the Pricefx functional areas where users can execute price list management activities.

Processor

A processor represents a reusable block of code that can be used in conjunction with a route. They can be used to enrich or change the message body (ie. add more data for each record in the body).

Processor 

This is a simple Java interface that is used to add custom integration logic to a route. It contains a single process method that will be used to perform custom business logic on a message received by a consumer.

Product extensions

a type of data table containing additional product information, such as costs, competition data, etc.

Product Master

a table that includes product data with various attributes.

Prometheus

Monitoring tool for monitoring data storage, it encodes dimensions explicitly as key-value pairs attached to metric names. This allows filtering and grouping via query language.

Quote header

an overview of the complete quote calculation. One quote can have only one header.

Quote line item

a product item added to the quote with a defined quantity. One quote can have multiple line items.

Quote types

an area in Quotes where the pre-programmed types of quote calculation are displayed. The types are used to create quotes with pre-defined parameters.

Quotes

one of the Pricefx functional areas where users can execute Configure, Price, Quote activities.

Rebate agreement templates

a function allowing you to mass create many agreements at the same time, for example, do a mass upload of rebates from other systems.

Rebate agreements

one of the Pricefx functional areas where users can create and manage rebates.

Rebate header

an overview of the complete rebate. One rebate can have only one header.

Rebate line item

a rebate item that defines a particular type of condition that should be fulfilled by another party, e.g., if you sell 10000 units, you get 3% back. One rebate can have multiple line items.

Rebate records

a table that includes the records for all approved rebates. One row in the record table refers to each line item in the rebate. This is also the format in which Pricefx exports rebates to other systems.

Rebate types

 an area where the pre-programmed types of rebates calculation are displayed. The types are used to create rebates with pre-defined parameters.

Rebates calculations

the area where rebates recalculation on a base of the new data from the receiver of the rebate is set up. This is needed to analyze the payout probability of the rebate.

Rollups

a type of data analysis table that allows a higher level of aggregation and displays it on different charts.

Route

A route is a set of rules which describe how to react to a specific event (incoming SOAP call, uploaded CSV file, etc), in particular how to extract, transform and load the incoming data.

Route

A route is where the integration flow is defined. For example, to integrate two different systems then a Camel route can be coded to specify how these systems are integrated.

SFTP

Secure File Transfer Protocol, used when you need to secure server-to-server file transfers between yourself, your trading partners, and enterprise servers, SFTP (which stands for SSH File Transfer Protocol or Secure File Transfer Protocol) is a more secure option than FTP.

Ship and debit claims

one of the Pricefx functional areas where users can create and manage ship and debit claims.

Simulations

an area in Price Setting where users can analyze the impact of some price parameters change on the final price in Price Lists and Live Price Grids.

SQL 

SQL is an abbreviation for Structured Query Language. SQL is a standardized query language used for managing relational databases and performing various operations on the data in them

Tableau

Tableau is business intelligence (BI) and analytics software. The platform was created to make it easier for you to understand your data and to give you the ability to make data-based decisions.

Transaction data

records of the product sales used in Analytics and for price calculations. Transactions are stored in Data Manager in Analytics.

User groups

a tool to provide access for users to data.

User roles

provides access for users to particular software functionality.

Workflows

a process that enables approval of the documents and can be set up for different PriceFx functional areas.